Let’s Make Saving a Habit - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 26
Elysion’s resolve to persuade Tania back into an adult perspective shattered in an instant.
If what she so desperately desired existed in this place….
Then I would help her achieve everything she wanted here.
With his decision made, Elysion strode toward Tania and greeted her.
“Hello, Tania.”
Upon spotting him, Tania froze, her eyes blinking in confusion.
“…H-how do you know my name?”
Elysion spoke with casual composure, as if it were the most natural thing.
“Your story has spread throughout the entire Talent Cultivation Institute. When I heard the rumors about your appearance, it matched perfectly, so I took a chance and called out to you.”
“Oh, I see….”
Tania laughed awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.
Since it was rare to see her flustered, Elysion regarded her with an amused expression.
“My name is Elysion. You can call me Sion.”
“Mm, Sion.”
“Tania, are you planning to participate in tomorrow’s adoption tournament?”
At Elysion’s question, Tania’s complexion noticeably darkened.
Observing her expression, Elysion became certain that Tania had intended to be adopted by Duke Papiope.
And that she was carrying profound guilt toward me.
Yet Elysion himself felt nothing of the sort.
As for adoption, I could always go to the Magic Tower Master, who perpetually regretted missing the chance to adopt me earlier….
And Duke Papiope, who had been my adoptive mother in the previous timeline, would become my mother regardless if I married Tania.
Besides, I had only been able to enter the Talent Cultivation Institute in the first place because of Tania.
So I could willingly relinquish that position as the Duke’s adopted child.
After a long silence, Tania gripped the hem of my dress tightly and spoke.
“Yes, I’m planning to participate. I suppose we’ll be competitors.”
“Competitors? I don’t think so.”
Elysion’s lips curved upward meaningfully.
“Tania, I don’t want us to be in such a rigid relationship. I want us to be close.”
“…Huh?”
“So don’t burden yourself. Just come.”
“…Huh?”
“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With those words, Elysion left before Tania could respond.
So returning to my original adult timeline was no longer possible….
Yet my heart had become more at peace than ever.

✦ ✦ ✦
After successfully sneaking back to Tania’s House before Aiden returned from the Talent Cultivation Institute.
I lay in bed, organizing my thoughts about what had just transpired.
“The adoption tournament is tomorrow.”
The leisurely schedule had been pushed forward far too abruptly.
“…I wanted to spend more time with the Old Gentleman.”
The thought that tomorrow would mean goodbye to this house filled me with a dull ache.
How was I supposed to explain this to the Old Gentleman?
“First, I’ll have to be honest about participating in the adoption tournament tomorrow.”
It would shred the heart of the Old Gentleman who had proposed adoption to me, but there was no way around it.
And there was one more thing.
“Elysion…. For a moment, I thought he remembered me.”
When he called my name, his expression had clearly shown surprise.
Just as I had been startled to see him in his younger form.
“His potential was certainly different from the start.”
It was evident where that handsome face had come from.
His features were so distinctly defined that I could immediately recognize him as Elysion.
“Now that I think about it….”
At the time, my body had been rigid and I hadn’t given it much thought, but Elysion seemed to have remained frozen for a long while as he looked at me.
Moreover, he had said he wanted to be on good terms rather than as competitors.
“Why?”
Was it simply because I had performed well on the entrance examination for the Talent Cultivation Institute?
Could it be….
Had he fallen for me at first sight?
Come to think of it, even from that earlier point in time, Elysion had shown considerable favor from the beginning and tried to grow close, despite having no prior connection with me.
It was a credible line of reasoning.
At the sound of someone entering the house, I bolted upright and scurried out.
“Eek! Old Gentleman, you’re home?”
I charged forward with both arms spread wide.
The Old Gentleman naturally lowered his body so I could embrace him, and as a result, I ended up dangling from his neck.
The arms supporting me were quite sturdy.
“Tania, you’ll trip if you run at me like that.”
“But I missed you so much, Old Gentleman.”
“Is that all, or were you hungry for something?”
Saying so, the Old Gentleman held up a large chunk of meat wrapped in paper.
“Hehe, that’s true too.”
The Old Gentleman gazed at me with affectionate eyes and told me about his visit to the Trading Caravan.
“When I asked the Merchant Leader, he said mercenaries are indeed needed, but for now I should focus on taking care of you. He said he’d ask when it’s truly urgent.”
“I see.”
Phew, fortunately the Merchant Leader seemed to have sensed something and smoothly covered for me.
“Old Gentleman, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“All right.”
I tapped his shoulder to signal that he should put me down.
“It’s important.”
He held me in his arms and stared at me as if telling me to speak, but only after I tapped his shoulder once more did he finally set me on the ground.
“What is it?”
“Old Gentleman, I… please let me participate in the Duke Papiope’s Mansion adoption tournament opening tomorrow.”
“An adoption tournament…?”
He frowned quietly and spoke as if questioning what he’d just heard.
“Setting aside how you learned the tournament opens tomorrow, I was under the impression that only children enrolled in the Papiope Talent Cultivation Institute are eligible to apply.”
“Actually… I took the entrance exam when you went to leave the Mercenary Company. I even have my acceptance certificate.”
Pushing aside my nervousness, I pulled out the crumpled acceptance certificate from my pocket and unfolded it to show him.
“H-here it is…”
“…”
He slowly took the acceptance certificate from my hand and read it carefully, word by word. His eyes trembled visibly.
The first emotions that filled his gaze were surprise and joy.
But soon a complex tide of feelings washed over him, and sorrow emerged.
After reading it all, he looked at me with a complicated expression.
“Perhaps I… have been an obstacle to nurturing your talents.”
“No! You’ve been more than kind to me…!”
“No.”
He cut off my words firmly and carefully folded the certificate before returning it to me.
“No matter how much I care for you, it would never be enough to truly cultivate your talents. And with results like these…”
He looked at me with an expression tinged with guilt.
“You were destined to live as a noble. Yet you had to meet me of all people…”
“Old Gentleman! Why would you think such a thing!”
I called out to him in shock, but his resolve remained unmoved.
“You must participate in the adoption tournament tomorrow. I will take you to the Talent Cultivation Institute.”
He bent down to meet my eyes and gripped both my shoulders firmly.
“If you don’t win the adoption tournament, you’re welcome to return to me, or you can enter the Talent Cultivation Institute.”
It was what I had hoped for, but now that his permission had come, I found myself at a loss and clamped my mouth shut.
I felt overwhelmed with gratitude, and equally burdened with guilt.
But instead, he comforted me by brushing back my disheveled hair.
“Tania, don’t worry about anything. Just do whatever your heart desires. My only concern is you, so live for yourself.”
Words so tenderly spoken that they only bound me more tightly to him.

✦ ✦ ✦
The next day.
Aiden kept his word and brought me to the Talent Cultivation Institute.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his retreating figure, watching him for a long while.
Aiden.
A person who protects me, and simultaneously, someone I must protect.
“…This bond is no different from family.”
Yes, this was enough.
Even if I became a court lady and could never call him father again, it was sufficient.
I had already called him father without restraint….
And I had heard him say ‘my daughter’ to me, so in a way, my life was already more successful than before regression.
[Overwriting Viewpoint 2 with the current viewpoint.]
I erased without hesitation the moment when Aiden had proposed adoption to me, and moved forward.
Becoming a court lady would require two save slots.
Backups were essential for important matters.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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